A Change in Uniform
by Mr.Mongoose256
Summary: Shepard's a little broken too, and Jack kinda falls for her. Coming together, Femshep/Jack. Rated M in the first chapter for language, in the second for language and sexual content-the chapters can be read separately and still make sense.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: For the first half of the dialogue, I used a lot of the in-game dialogue (mainly because I wanted to set it in game), so that doesn't belong to me. Neither do the characters. The games do though. And so does the rest of this little fic.

A/N: *** is a time change and the line is a change in the narrator: alternates between Jack and Commander Artemis Shepard (Female. Don't think Artemis fowl sillies, think Greek, eternally youthful, immensely skilled with a bow, moon goddess Artemis)

* * *

><p>I saw her containment cell rise out of the ground. I thought she was sedated, or just the most peaceful looking creature ever to be put in prison. A second later, she was out of prison. And it didn't look very peaceful. I thought about how historically gods were thought of that way, a little over a hundred years ago. So much raw power, and I had always thought god, if there was one, lacked finesse. The energy just fizzling out of them.<p>

Of course, gods wore clothes as far as I could remember. And beings with unlimited power don't have to channel their pain into more power. And her power looked like it was coming from pain.  
>And I needed someone with that much power, pain or no, on my team. So I ran after her, hid behind cover, shot a few mercenaries-I think I de-staffed an entire prison ship somewhere in there—and finally I got to Jack, who would have hijacked my ship for sure if I hadn't gotten there. Or maybe not based on the way she was eyeing it with more hatred. And screaming.<p>

I shot another merc in the head, mainly to make sure he died quickly rather than slowly pummeled with biotics after interrupting her fit of rage.

"What the hell do you want?"

"You. Well, on my team, not as a prisoner or… anything else." My eyebrows furrowed a little, like they used to do whenever I said anything 2 years ago. "Basically, my name is Artemis Shepard, and I'm here to get you off this ship."  
>"I'm not going anywhere, princess. You're Cerberus."<br>"Why does it matter if I am?"  
>"You show up in a Cerberus frigate to take me away somewhere, and you just expect me to go with you?"<br>"Well, the ship you're on right now is going down in flames. Do you see a better option here?"

"You want me to come with you, make it worth my while."  
>"Done, I'll do what I can if you join my team."<br>"Don't make promises you can't keep."  
>"Only did once."<br>"I bet your ship's got lots of Cerberus databases. I want a look at those files, see what Cerberus has got on me. You want me on your team, let me go through those databases."

"I'll give you full access."

Miranda spoke up for the first time, probably too intimidated before or something stupid like that. I wish she could just be on my side, or at the very least fill me in on things beforehand. After I've promised something, _then_ she says, "Shepard, you're not allowed to do that."

"Oh, it upsets the cheerleader. Even better."

Good thing I'm facing Jack, or Miranda would plant a genetically engineered kick right in my smirk. Jack must have misinterpreted my expression, but I would too at this point. "You'd better be straight up with me."  
>She waits a few seconds, eyes the vessel again. Without the screaming. "So why the hell are we standing here?"<br>Right, concentrating too much on the new recruit. "Move out." I have to get a handle on my curiosity.

* * *

><p>Some Cerberus girl with a high strung British accent is welcoming me. I've had enough "welcomes" to know this is one with quotes around it. That idiot girl put her as second in command? Maybe she's really first in command, the way they were talking earlier. I bet they're fucking. Time to find out.<p>

"Tell the Cerberus cheerleader to back off, Shepard."

That expression seems neutral enough. Nowhere near the amount of emotion involved with most people fucking each other.

"Get settled in, and I'll give you full access to the files."  
>She could just give me the files now. Probably some terribly misguided hospitality or something.<br>"I'll find somewhere near the bottom. Don't like much through traffic. Don't keep me waiting, Shepard."  
>She'd better not. The time people gain by keeping me waiting is usually taken out of their schedule sometime after they actually meet me, in unpleasant ways. I hope she doesn't. She doesn't really seem all too comfortable here.<p>

* * *

><p>I go down to the bottom of the ship about an hour after I give her access to the files. It was a hell of a fight with Miranda, but it's worth it. If it can help her find out enough about life to stop her from suffering so much that the pain fizzles out of her in raw power… well anything's worth that. I knew she'd be down here. Mainly cause she told me.<p>

"Hey."  
>She seems civil enough. Maybe I can get to know her now. "Tell me about you, Jack."<p>

"I'm still finding out about me. Thanks for letting me look at these files."

The way she says it tells me she really wasn't expecting any favors. But then she acts like she expects the world when Miranda's around. Who knows, Cerberus may owe it to her. "If they're helping you, that's good enough for me."  
>"Don't be my buddy." Note to self. Do not be nice more than twice in one day with this one. "You need me to kill for you, I need you for these files. Let's leave it there." Rather not, and you know I won't. But you tell me anyway. Hopeful, in the weirdest and most depressing way. "Your friends in Cerberus are into some nasty things." Repress the urge to say kinky. "I'm gonna find something I can use, I just know it."<p>

"What's your history with Cerberus? " Might as well get that question out of the way.

"They raised me in a research facility." Crap. I can't really pay attention after that. I knew she seemed way too emotionally mature for her age. And you can tell her age from looking at how pert her... crap. Shit shit shit. The last thing I need is a personal interest in her, then I'll never be able to convince her she's worth anything. Look away Artemis. You know that's the easiest way to tip someone off you're not listening to them. No wonder I have all those awkward transitions in conversations. Now she's talking about this being her whole life. I knew no one really raised her. You get past a raising, that's why it's past tense. It's an insult to the term raised, really. Of course so is being brought up by a gang with both your parents dead. Also the wrong term. We were just there. In very bad places. Which made for very bad times. More like prison. Never raises you, but you're definitely not a child at the end of it. Now she's talking about safety. I gave up on that a long time ago. Now I just hope I never do feel safe again, or I won't be able to get out of that situation. Wait, she's jumping towards me now? Commandeering the ship after the mission…ooh, pirates are hot. Executions are bad though. I don't think that's going to happen.

* * *

><p>Hm, Shepard again. What to say that doesn't jeopardize my bad-assery but also lets me find out more about her…"Hey." That was awesome Jack. You should be a speech writer.<p>

"What're you up to, Jack?"

"Still checking out your ship." She looks like she expects me to do something to her ship. Don't want that, especially if I ever do want to take it somewhere. "Don't worry, joyriding doesn't have the thrill it used to. I mean, if I wanted it, I'd take it. But I've already been around. Ran with gangs, wiped out some gangs, joined a cult. Kept the haircut." I do like that haircut.  
>"It's hard to imagine you in a cult. That usually involves a lot of rules." Amen to that, Shepard.<p>

"I was looking for answers. Drugs and sex and going to a better place. A better place...right. It was all about money. They wanted to take a colony, shake the suckers down to fund their spread. And guess who was their ace in the hole? They were just like the rest. Didn't give one shit about me. But hey, everybody wants something. And because of that, everything is fair game."

"Not everything." She says that like she's wanted to take so many things. It's like she's keeping herself in a cage. Fuck that.  
>"Yeah, have fun with that view." Ugh. That facial expression is making me feel so guilty, "Hey Shepard. No one's ever asked me about this shit. It's strange to talk about. So fuck you. And thanks for asking." That'll make her think.<p>

* * *

><p>"Hey." Not one for hellos, are we Jack?<p>

"Tell me something I don't know about you, Jack."  
>"Nothing to tell. Why?"<p>

Better word this right. She won't let me ask anything if I can't convince her now. "You know why I make my rounds Jack? I can't stand killing people I don't have to. And as long as I see them trying to attack my crew, I feel so much better killing them. As long as I care about my crew. And I can't care about my crew unless I know about them." An _angry_ rant about not being able to kill people. I'm getting good at this politician type stuff.

"You sound like a pussy."  
>"Yeah, I guess I am. But at least I kill for you, right?" That sounded creepy. Control z! Please life?<p>

"You die too. I've seen your files. So you just decide to die to save Joker? Ever think about what would have happened to me if you weren't brought back to life? Still in prison, maybe?"  
>"You would have escaped if it weren't for me."<p>

"Right. Yeah. Freedom." That sounds like she's glad I showed up. Yes! Maybe I'm finally getting to her! "So why do you always take me on your missions if you don't know me then?"

"Uh… I guess you're already worth killing for."

"So then why do you care so much about me Shepard?"

"I dunno, I just thought I might have found someone I can talk with about how crappy life gets without you just telling me it gets better, or that it's already great, or that I'm great. But if you don't want to talk, whatever." Yeah right, whatever. Last time I saved the galaxy it was a temporary fix, but not even saving the galaxy really made me feel like I had a purpose. It's weird, the less you know the people you save, no matter how many there are… but it's not whatever. Please let me stay.  
>"If that was your prerogative, why'd you let me think you were cerberus's lapdog this whole time?"<p>

Good question. Last minute BS answers anyone? No? Crap. "No idea. Not comfortable with myself needing little therapy powows with a crazy bitch?"  
>An almost sadistic smile gets splayed across her face. "You're funny. Just be glad I knew that was a joke."<p>

I sank down onto whatever she calls a bed. She eyed me a little weird at first, but seems pretty comfortable with it now. We vented a while, talked a little about childhood, but not before she told me she wants to blow up Pragia. I tell her we'll stop by when we're close by. She looks dissapointed.

"You realize when I say close by I mean within a 4 mass relay jumps, right? We're just helping Tali right now is all. I can't stop in the middle of that. I owe her my life. You probably do to. She finally got the council to let me go after Saren."

"Yeah, I guess I have to respect a savior of the universe… Hey, Shepard. If we're being all touchy-feely now, what did you mean, 'only once'?" Not gonna answer that, Jack. "About promises."  
>"Oh. Well it was more of a promise I was forced into. See you on the mission." Please leave it at that, Jack. You don't need to know everything.<br>"That didn't quite answer my intended question. I wanted to know what you promised."  
>Of course. "I don't really talk about it, or anything related to it."<p>

"Yeah, well you're not usually with a psycho who really could, mentally and physically kill you at any moment if you don't open up about your feelings."  
>"You've certainly revolutionized therapy there, Jack." That filled my good joke quota for the rest of my life, and she's not even laughing? Screw that.<br>"C'mon Shepard. Don't push me to where I have to admit that killing you thing was a lie."  
>"Fine. I'll humor you. Someone made me promise to not harm myself."<br>"And that lasted what, a week?" If only Jack, if only.  
>"Two years. And it killed me, but promises are promises. Are we done now?"<br>"Nope, you still need to talk about the 'anything related to it.'"  
>Not unless you want the crew to judge me and coddle me. "I tried to kill myself. When I was a teenager. Well, once at 12 and once at 16. The world's a fucked up place, Jack. And you know that full well."<br>"A world too fucked up for Shepard? Then how are you still alive _right now_? Collectors not enough for you?"  
>"I decided even if I know it's fucked up and you know it's fucked up and all the sorry asses lucky enough to have crappy lives know it's fucked up, the least I can do is maintain a delusion of righteousness and justice for the rest of the poor suckers out there. Because even if they would be better people for knowing it's fucked, no one deserves to have that hover over them every day. And the people who come closest to thinking they deserve it… well, that's us, isn't it? We know it's not our duty, but it feels right to punish ourselves more for whatever we did to get crappy lives in the first place. Now rest up so we can go delude Tali and the council."<p>

* * *

><p>I go aboard with Shepard to help Tali fight in court even though I know full well I probably won't even get to shoot a bug. Why did I do this again? Even I have to admire how good Shepard is at talking. She knows what she's doing. It's so weird though, thinking she can talk that way and believe it after the shit life has thrown at her. I know what it's like to be surrounded by death with no one to take care of you. Wait, we get to go investigate a ship? I hope I get to blow it up this time. She always takes all the fun.<p>

We shoot through a bunch of geth (which is really satisfying because they're sentient, they explode, and Shepard really has no deep seated emotional problems with killing them. She even programs the guns of the whole squad to have disruptor ammo. Awesome.) and see a few dead Quarians along the way.

The last one is Tali's father. I can't believe Shepard's there for everyone when they don't even have to get her loyalty. She just takes Tali in her arms and helps her get a hold on things. Crap. Let's go kill some more geth and stop with this mush.

Afterwards, we get put back in the boring courtroom. I guess it was worth it. Shepard raves about how much everyone owes Tali and she doesn't even have to prove anything. Have to ask her how she does it. I don't know why, but I've been really quiet this whole time. Whatever. Killing before thinking. Thinking is for people who want a bunch of guilt on their conscience. We're finally back on the Normandy. All that killing made me hungry, so I take the elevator to get some grub. I wish they put stairs in too. It takes forever and I usually have to see people because there's only one fucking elevator. Finally. I take my food and go back down. I hear the elevator on its way back up after I get off, so I hang around and see what's up. It's Shepard. Probably here to check in with Tali. This could be fun to hear.

I was wrong. This is boring and mushy.

Did I just hear Tali say, "I got better. I got you."? Damn, is she going for Shepard? Is Shepard even into chicks? She's coming this way. Better leave this scintillating eavesdropping for some eating in my hidey hole.

Halfway through my food and she just barges in.

* * *

><p>"You know what I hate Jack? Girls flirt with each other <em>all the time<em>. And they don't even notice! I mean sure if I was a guy they'd think twice about saying what they say to me and only tell me if they're genuinely interested. That's what's so nice about lesbians. They're aware when they flirt with anyone. Gay guys have it so easy, guys don't flirt with each other. That would inhibit their astonishing masculinity. I just wish people would wear a sign that says "I'm queer," or get a tattoo with two interlocking female signs, or wear a shirt that says "I'm gay and I'm genuinely interested in you." I should not have outbursts like this. But it's so damn frustrating. Tali's voice is just…"

"You're not exactly out yourself Shepard."

Wait a minute, I never told Jack, did I? Hm. "Touché. But can you really expect any war hero celebrity to be out publically?"

"I expect you to do whatever the fuck you want. I mean you turn down Garrus and Kelly and Thane and Jacob and you hardly pay attention to Miranda's genetically engineered ass. Do whatever you want with Tali!" Ouch. Do I really pay that little attention to them?

"Just make up your mind Shepard!" Crap. "Sorry. You're right. I don't even know how Quarians treat gays. I assume you are from that outburst."

"Oh, yeah. Hi, I'm Commander Shepard and queer is my favorite description of my sexuality, on or off the citadel. I've tried lesbian and gay, but they come with too many stereotypes. Sorry I forgot to tell you Jack."  
>"No big deal, just a major part of your identity. Can we go blow up my childhood now?"<p>

"Yeah… yeah, I'll set a course for Pragia. See you later, Jack."

"Whatever."

I go with Jack, kill shit, do everything the way I'm supposed to. I even stop her from killing someone. Happy day. I took Tali with us. She seems like she could care less about Jack. That's just not cool with me. Never mind about her.

Jack doesn't look very happy, but she doesn't really look open to anything right now either. I'll make sure to visit her again when we get back to the ship. Like I wasn't going to already.

"So Jack. Want a distraction, or do you want to defy all odds and talk about your feelings on what just happened?"

She mumbles so I can hardly hear her. "Distraction."

I should have come up with something before I came down here. Wait, am I suddenly a teenage boy who needs to practice conversations? "So. Everyone else changed clothes to show they're loyal to me. It's not even a uniform or anything. It's just different colors or something stupid like that. I think they're Cerberus themed. I wouldn't expect you to, cause, y'know, _Cerberus_ colors. You do anything?"

"Yeah"

"Can't tell."

"That's cause I'm not wearing it."

"Oh duh...wanna show me? It's probably better than everyone else's. Even I can't change clothes beyond material or color or a tiny bit of shape difference. No more military regulations my ass."

"Alright."  
>She walks over to a trunk opens it up, and takes out a leather shirt. <em>Finally<em> I won't get distracted in conversations with her. She asks me to come zip the back up. It's a really tight shirt. What was that about distractions? I'm about to turn her around when she takes out a white t-shirt and puts it on. Crap. Beautiful girls in baggy clothes. I'm such a sucker for that. I guess I was lucky so far everything was tight on everyone. She turns around. The shirt has 8 words on it in a simple black font. "I'm gay and I'm genuinely interested in you." Then she flashes a tattoo she either got recently or I hadn't seen before. It's small, and on the inside of her wrist. It's two female symbols linked at the ring. I'm sure I look completely dumbfounded for a moment. I try to smile sweetly, but I can't help laughing. It's just so great. I never expected anyone to do anything like that for me.  
>"Whatever. Fuck you, Shepard."<br>Crap. I forgot, all the tortured souls have low self-esteem despite how amazing and undeniably sexy they are. I stop laughing, and put my hand on her shoulder. Screw it, I hug her and rock back and forth on my feet. "It's not whatever, Jack. I love it. And if you really want to… I guess that could be arranged later."

I can feel her face heating up, but I don't let go of her. We stay like that for what seems like an hour. I finally pull away and see her makeup ran, but's dried now. I press our lips together for a soft kiss, practically praying it's not too fast. I don't move anything, she stays there. Again, for what seems to take way longer than it probably does. Then she finally tenses her lips around mine and pulls away.

"Could be arranged later, you said?"  
>"Could be arranged later, I meant. But uhm… I, the great big pussy I am…" She's laughing at that. Good to know I can get her to laugh without calling her a crazy bitch. "I wouldn't mind a cuddle right now."<p>

We went over to her 'bed' and I held her for what really was hours.  
>"Hmmh," I release air with a slight smirk.<p>

Jack, as tranquil as I've ever heard her, mumbles, "what?"  
>"I'm the one holding you, and for the first time I feel safe without hiding in a corner in a minefield."<p>

She just snuggles into me at that. I press my face against the back of her head where I know she can feel it, and smile.

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><p>AN: I'm writing one more section, it's a lemon-esque thing. I'll put it in the next chapter, but basically stop here if you're content here. It should be up really soon after this. I know I am (cuddles make everyone happy), but I don't think everything's wrapped up yet.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Here's the promised lemony segment. I still don't own the characters.

There was a bit of a problem when I first uploaded this, the link wasn't working and it didn't register as 2 chapters. So I deleted the other one and put this one up; sorry if you got multiple alerts.

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><p>"So, you said you were going to fuck me sometime later Shepard?"<p>

"No, I said it could be arranged for you to fuck me. And it's not arranged yet. But I know what I'm going to do. It's exactly what your tattoos and your clothes beg for all the time." She paused for a moment, staring into Jack's eyes. Then she remembered she was still talking when Jack urged her on by fully opening her lidded eyes and raising her eyebrows. "Stop thinking kinky love Jack, that's not the way they speak to me. Though it can also be arranged. They tell me to make slow, sweet love to you until your body is so enveloped in peace and bliss you can't help but admit you're worth loving and loved, and then to fuck your brains out until you can't help but admit the extent of the passion I have for you. Although I suppose that's still me fucking you later. And no, you don't get a choice. I expect this to take at least an hour and leave you so spent that you eat a feast trying to get back energy, but still collapse next to me so I get to cuddle you more."

"Crap, Shepard." Jack almost moaned this. "Those words did more for me than any foreplay I've ever had. Wait, did you say something about proving you love me?"  
>"Yes."<p>

"Shepard, I—"

"I love you Jack. Just leave it at that for now."

"Too bad. I love you. As little as I know what love's about, I love you."

She grabbed me into a deep kiss, pure lips pulling at lips, but incredibly sensual. I distanced myself, pulled Jack up and we commenced stripping.

"None of those are particularly fun to take off in a fit of passion anyway." Jack remarked.

"As I said, military regulation." She looked up at me and I was already naked. She'd barley managed to get her black leather shirt off. "That's what I get for donning and removing armor several times every day." I took the few steps toward Jack and started hugging her. Well, caressing her. I removed her stilled hands from that harness/bra thing she wears, and undid it myself. As I pushed the straps off her shoulders slowly, she moaned and involuntarily took a step back. I pushed my upper body into her and just the knowledge that her breasts were against mine made me that much wetter. But the feeling of her hardening, cold to the touch nipples against my hot skin did so much more than the knowledge. I had used the momentary gap between our bodies to reposition my hands at her pants. As I undid them and let them fall, I caught a whiff of her arousal. It smelled like… well, I wanted to taste it. But later. I pull down her underwear as well, and as I kneel to pull them to her feet, I notice she's shaved. I guess she doesn't like hair anywhere. I feel the breath pulled out of me as I gravitate toward her, and I'm sure she feels some of my breath cover her nether regions too, because she shivers. But I pull myself up, back toward her, and devour her mouth instead. There's plenty of time for that later.

I move my hands from her hips up to the side of her breasts as I brush my tongue over her bottom lip. As she moans from the contact with her chest, her lips open up just enough for me to slip my tongue in. I move my tongue over the inside of her bottom lip this time, and it elicits more of a moan than before. I start readily caressing her breasts and moving my thumb and forefinger over her nipple teasingly. As she presses herself into the touch, I decide the teasing should be over for now. I knead her breasts slowly and she has to break away from the kiss in order to let her moan out. Ugh, I'm going to get an earful from Ken and Gabby after this. I focus on her neck and shoulders with my mouth instead. I'm not going to bite, not yet anyway. But it takes so much resolve not to be rough in other ways. My right hand trails down to her stomach, then moves over slowly to her hip. I lower us onto the ground; her bed isn't big enough, especially not for two people.

My hand moves down towards her shaved mound, and I move it from bottom to top of her slit. Her hips try to buck up in response, but they barley move because I'm on top of her. I concentrate on her clit, after I rub her juices around it. I swirl my fingers around it, eventually taking it between my thumb and pointer finger and tugging on it a bit.  
>"Shepard, I…" Jack manages to get out between her moans.<br>I shush her and slowly slip two fingers into her. I move them in and out, curling them every time I get up to the hand. I remember to thank her current arousal state for being able to enter her with two fingers immediately. My body mimics my hand, going back and forth against her, and she lifts up her leg to provide some friction. I lower myself onto it more, and her breasts come into view. I lick around them as I bring her higher, finally reaching her nipple. I begin to suckle it, still gently. I begin to massage her clit with my thumb, and every time I curl my fingers, my thumb presses into it slightly. I start to move faster, and switch to her other breast. As I suck on it, she tenses up, and as she enters the throes of passion, I stay inside her, stop pumping and massage her clit and the depths of her vagina simultaneously as she lets out a very breathy moan that shows me even her diaphragm is tensing. I feel her legs straighten out under me, and bring myself back up to kiss her.

After I kiss her, I say, "Now that that's done," I move down to her slit with my mouth this time, and after taking one long taste, again, from the bottom to the top, focus on her clit. I pull it into my mouth and stat nibbling on it, at first gently, then when I realize I can't control myself anymore, close my mouth and run my teeth over it rather roughly. I move my hands up to roughly fondle her breasts, and she begins thrashing her head from side to side. I move down, enter and re-enter her with my tongue, then after realizing it's not long or big enough, go back to manhandling her clit with my mouth. I move both hands down, steady her hips with one, and enter her swiftly with another. Three fingers, but I quickly switch to four. The thumb stays out of it though. I start sucking on her clit for all it's worth, and her hips lift my head up, I wrap the steadying arm around her, realizing it'd be more efficient to just let her buck wildly. I continue until I feel her spasm as her head is momentarily to the left. I pull back for a second, then thrust into her harder and blow on her clit, and go back to sucking and fucking as hard as I can. Her third orgasm of the night is the most intense, she actually starts whimpering the first syllable until she finally screams the whole thing, "SHEPARRRD!"  
>"You tired out yet?"<br>"Yes, god Shepard, let me rest, then let me work on you."  
>"Too bad." I say as I move back up. I start driving my leg into her overworked nub, and driving my nub into her leg. I start biting on her neck, just next to her pulse point, until I draw blood. Then I start licking her wound dry, continuing that gyrating. Then, the reason I didn't focus on her pulse point, I move over and start sucking on it, at the same time swirling my tongue around it. This time, I moan in unison with her, start panting, and work my leg even deeper into her slit. I can't help but reaching orgasm faster than her, I've been driving myself crazy all this time. As I shudder and pant into her, I think the vibrations of my orgasm must have reached her core, because she moves against me harder, a few more times, and then collapses under me as she has a very weak spasm. "Now, I'm done." I move off of her, turn her on her side, curl up next to her, and pull her blanket from her quasi bed over us. I guess we're not saving another planet or getting anyone else to change uniforms for at least 6 hours. I think I'll have her stay in her harness though, her tattoos are really beautiful. I start appreciating them for the first time through eyes not clouded with lust, and decide I might rob her of her pants so I can see these ones as well. She is, after all, on point in most missions.<p> 


End file.
